Fallen Halabou
ENG 1020
Shenika Hankerson
March 25, 2015
The President’s Cabinet
OxfordDictionaries.com defines ‘cabinet’ as “a body of advisers to the President,
composed of the heads of the executive departments of the government.” The United States of
America’s government is run on a democratic system, meaning that each representative is elected
through a voting process that occurs within the population. Each branch of the government
serves a different purpose to keep order throughout the system. The judicial branch keeps order
through the use of the court systems in regards to what is lawful and just. Where the legislative
branch has the primary power to make laws, passing them through the houses and so forth to the
president for the final decision. The president belongs to the executive branch in our government
where they have the power to turn bills into laws. Within the executive branch, more specifically,
the president has a group of advisors to him known as his Cabinet. Through research, this essay
will provide information about the president’s cabinet in regards to its role and purpose served in
our government.
About a decade after the United States gained independence from Great Britain in 1776,
the first presidential cabinet was formed with President George Washington in office. In 1787,
the constitution was amended to provide the president with his own cabinet to advice decisions
with. George Washington had only four men apart of his cabinet during his time in office:
Thomas Jefferson; Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton; Secretary of Treasury, Henry Knox;
Secretary of War, and Edmund Randolph; Attorney General. In article two, section two, of the
United States Constitution, in regards to the president’s cabinet, it states that, “He may require
the Option, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive departments, upon any
subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.” At the time, Washington only appointed
four men to advise the decisions of the country with him whereas today, there are 15 positions in
the presidential cabinet. Washington only chose the positions he felt absolutely necessary to
govern the nation. Also, there were not as many departments then as there are today. For
example, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Commerce were not yet
developed therefore needed no representation. Furthermore, each of the four men in the original
cabinet had larger responsibility than being solely reserved to his own department. Where today,
there are almost three times as many positions in that each of the main departments have other
specific departments to take into account. Meaning, the Secretary of War must also work with
the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, and so forth rather than before, where
it was solely up to the Secretary of Defense to provide the President and other cabinet members
with information of the department and provide key insight to the decisions made through said
department. Over the years, through many presidencies, the departments have developed as also
new ones were added. The world is always changing and with that, America is always adapting,
which is why there have been different departments added and secretaries to those departments
appointed.
As stated, the president’s cabinet’s sole purpose is to advise the president in executive
decisions regarding the governing of the country. Each cabinet member is hand-selected by the
president, then brought